Kilarallis
Kilarallis with its capital Gwarrannan is a fairly large island roughly comparable to the Rim Isles in the Regalian Archipelago. The isle of Kilarallis has a long history, dating back to the early days of the Elven Empire, and later as a Human noble republic. Under the Elven Empire, Kilarallis was known as Kilonnen Rallis, the staple port for the Elven slave trade on the eastern part of the Empire. Since the collapse of the Empire, it has seen a slave revolt after which the island continued under Human rule albeit under a series of varying government forms. Present day, Kilarallis is a wealthy state, though politically and socially unstable due to it’s violent and multicultural past. It also remains independent in an atmosphere densely packed with Regalian trade routes and Regalian sub states. Etymology The name Kilarallis is a modern term given to replace the old Elven name, Kilonnen Rallis. Kilonnen Rallis consists of two individual words, Kilonnen which means princely family and Rallis which is a term that generally refers to single Elven legislative areas. In this particular case, the Rallis itself refers to only the isle of Kilarallis. The capital Gwarrannan is named after an old Elven family that held high importance in the Elven aristocracy during the days of the Elven Empire. Gwarrannan is loosely translated to “The Natural Order of Things”. The family itself was one of the wealthiest families during the days of the Elven Empire, but much like the rest of the Empire itself, saw its wealth evaporate during the collapse of that state. History Before the Cataclysm The history of Kilarallis starts with the foundation of the Elven slave trade early in the Empire’s days around 1700 BC. The Elves used the coastal castles they constructed on the island as staple ports for the slaves captured in the Regalian Archipelago, Ceardia, Etosil, Avrost and even as far as Farahdeen. Thousands of slaves were processed through the ports every month, leading to a vast increase of wealth of the local Elven princes. The Island was officially under a colonial governor, but the local princes held so much power and wealth that the governor was just a figurehead. The island was far enough from the Empire removed (far north, almost at the edge of the Empire) to allow the princes petty infighting. This was often done through the slaves. The princes would recruit large amounts of slaves into their armies and then had them fight to the death on the Prince’s March bridges. Over the next centuries, it’s often estimated nearly half the present day population of the Regalian capital itself died in these war games. Years after Cataclysm Kilarallis suffered severely during the Cataclysm as the island itself was already unstable. Whole parts of the island simply crashed into the ocean. One of the cities, called Ellana Dallis, infact slid right into the ocean as the entire slab of cliff it was placed on came loose and crashed into the ocean. The majority of the population on the island died during the Cataclysm, but the Elves tried to remain in control and rebuild shortly after the event. As the Elven Empire disintegrated, the Elven princes made designs of their own to conquer the squabbling states with an army of Ailor, Tigran and Qadir slaves as the other Elven states had no armies left when the Orcs destroyed Rië. Their plans were however spoiled when they pushed their slaves too far. After the Cataclysm, much of the Prince’s March had been buried under piles of rubble. The princes attempted to force the slaves into terrible working conditions to clear the bridges. When the slaves were roughly halfway, a series of revolts exploded around the island. The slaves had started using Qadir children to send messages around, allowing them communication where there was none between their Elven captors. After two years of intense struggle between the castles on the coast, the last Elven princes were eliminated. After independence The slaves however replaced one tyrannical system with another. The mixed populations became subject to a uniquely Ailor self proclaimed warlord population who frequently fought amongst themselves over control of the island. In 103 AC, a second wave of revolts happened among the grandchildren of those slaves who had originally revolted against their Elven masters when a series of Ailor princes started throwing Tigran slaves into the ocean for petty crimes. The civil war lasted nearly 50 years, a timeframe in which a series of governments had control over various parts of the island. A kingdom had formed, a republic formed, a very short lived Elven state re-emerged from Elven refugees and even a small Regalian substate existed for several years before it was absorbed into the resuming chaos. In 167 AC, the situation finally stabilized when a series of religious figures calmed the populace into an uneasy truce. The majority of the castles are owned by the Ailor present day, ruled by a number of Ailor families. Several other holds are a mixture between Tigrans and Elves, while there are a number of Qadir holds as well. Present day Present day the families controlling the island still often wage wars on one another like the Elven princes did many centuries ago. Cultural divisions in the holds themselves also continue to pose trouble to stability, in particular the Qadir holds are prone to frequent rebellions. Regalia has considered invading the island numerous times, but eventually decided to leave it alone as the instability of the island would prove to be difficult to handle. “The only effective way to conquer Kilarallis is to exterminate the entire population”, is the general saying that goes around in Regalia. Geography Kilarallis is an elongated island roughly shaped like a shoe with a number of cities on it, nearly all on the coastlines. The island is extremely rough and barren, most of the landmass itself consists of rocks and sand plains, most of which are completely inhospitable and unpassable. This makes Kilarallis dependant on coastal settlement, as well as an impressive series of coastal bridges called the “Prince’s March”. Kilarallis is thus unique in its entire surroundings, due to the fact that it doesn’t have any trees or grass growing on the island itself. The population is entirely dependent on the sea lines and whatever they can forage from the sea and small patches of habitable land. The island features no surface rivers, but there are several large cavern rivers running through the rocks. These all empty into the sea, and often cities formed around the waterfalls that emptied into the ocean as they were the only source of fresh water on the island. Climate The climate of Kilarallis is roughly similar to that of Regalia, in that it has a mild coastal climate. What sets Kilarallis apart however is the necessant strong winds and the heavy rainfall the entire year round. The seasons seldom drop below -11 °C (12 °F) or rise above 35 C° (95 °F). The waters themselves around the ocean are very strong, with winds mostly blowing from a south western origin. Despite the low temperatures during winter, snowfall does not occur on Kilarallis, ever. Notable Landmarks *The Prince’s March - The Prince’s March is a long series of bridges made from solid stone connecting the various cities on Kilarallis. These bridges date back to the highdays of the Elven Empire and in many sense of the word are ancient. They appear very simple in design but have resisted ocean weathering, natural disasters, army battles and intentional sabotage for centuries as they clinged close to the cliffsides. The Prince’s March is called this way, because it is custom for the Regalian Crown Princes to walk along the full length of the passable bridges to repent for the losses of Ailor lives during the Elven Empire. Several sections of the bridges have been badly damaged, but the majority of it can still be crossed on the original stonework. Travel on these bridges is still dangerous however, as ocean waves frequently wash over them. It is still preferable over swimming or mountain climbing however. *Gwarrannan’s Keep - The Gwarrannan’s Keep is a massive fortress that also doubles as the capital of Kilarallis. The citadel is one of the largest keeps on Aloria, sitting on top of a large cliffside with a series of massive cranes hanging over the edge. The only passable way to reach the citadel itself is through Kila boats, small river barge like vessels that can be hoisted up the cliff sides by these massive cranes to transfer goods and people to and from the citadel. Government Kilarallis can best be described as an Oligarchy, meaning a series of wealthy families control the politics of the island. Every year, the families vote on an Epsilonna, a public representative that speaks in the name of the Oligarchs. They have borrowed this term heavily from the Etosian isles which has recently started influencing the culture of the island. List of Rulers *Before Cataclysm - Various Elven rulers *0 -103 AC - Various Ailor Warlords *103 - 167 - Various Oligarchic Families *167 - 180 AC - Religious Interregnum *180 - 188 AC - Talsarissa Family Oligarchy *188 - 233 AC - Optranta Family Oligarchy *233 - 235 AC - Talsarissa Family Oligarchy *235 - 265 AC - Handskneghter Family Oligarchy *265 - 267 AC - Talsarissa Family Oligarchy *267 - 291 AC - Morvins Family Oligarchy *291 - Present - Talsarissa Family Oligarchy Foreign relations Kilrallis’s foreign relations are largely dictated by healthy disinterest and disassociation. While the Oligarchy holds positive relations with Regalia and most states around it, it does not have any formal relations, embassies or lasting diplomatic ties. When engaged in diplomatic talk, Kilarallis usually positions itself as a fringe player, not coming off as needing any foreign assistance, and similarly being unwilling to give any. Kilarallis has not been in any foreign conflicts since it’s independence from the Elven Empire. Military The Military of the Oligarchy is largely controlled by a family unit. The state does not formally have any military units, though each influential family has their own mercenary army that they use to maintain order in their own hold. Additionally, these mercenaries are used to resolve family disputes over trade or borders between themselves. The military is fairly outdated, having no meaningful siege or naval capabilities, and mostly surviving with dated Elven equipment, rotting defences and otherwise ignored defence expenses. Economy The economy of Kilarallis survives solely on self sufficiency, producing mostly its own food and simple wares such as cloth, metalworks, furniture and housing. Kilarallis does not formally have any official trade contracts with any foreign state, so most of the luxury items come in through smugglers or family traders who trade in small amounts for Regals. In smaller measures, Kilarallis also supplies Regalians with under the table slaves. Kilarallis officials are notably good at forcing legality papers for slavery in Regalia, as well as providing slaves that would otherwise be taxed or freed when entering the Regalian Empire. These slaves are both procured from pirates who roam the waters around Kilarallis, as well as the impoverished and debt ridden within Kilarallis. Demographics The population of Kilarallis is multicultural as well as multiracial. The following people’s are present in this state: *Ailor Humans - 45% category:Ailor Demographics *Talar Nelfin - 17% category:Talar Demographics *Tigran Dargon - 18% category:Tigran Demographics *Qadir Humans - 15% category:Qadir Demographics *Allar Naylar - 5% category:Allar Demographics Culture The culture of Kilarallis often gets compared to the Tigran City State of Ssil in that it is almost lawless, and controlled by the richer families of the island. Borders between the families often fluctuate, and sometimes whole families are replaced by new ones. The culture of the Kilarallians is mostly Daendroque. Not necessarily because they developed from an Ailor slave culture, but rather because the population genuinely believes only the strongest survive and the weak fall from the Prince’s March into the sea. Kilarallians clothe themselves in fairly somber colors, largely because dyes are very expensive on the island itself. In general the population has also gotten used to the muted tones of their environment, and often become uncomfortable with vibrant colors. Local cuisine often consists of berries, nuts and fish, and various combinations of those three base ingredients. Religion Kilarallis’s religion is largely dictated by Old Gods. This makes Kilarallis one of the only Old Gods bastions near the Regalian Empire, though it should also be noted that there are many Shambala worshippers, Unionists and Estel worshippers. What sets Kilarallis partly aside from regular Old Gods followers, is that they believe walking the full length of the Prince’s March can absolve someone from their Alorian sins. Additionally, they believe that regular sacrifices by ritually throwing someone from the Prince’s March into the ocean will grant them the good fortune of the gods. Missionaries and conversion camps are formally banned on Kilarallis. This is one thing the families can agree on, to avoid religious disunity becoming another problem besides the massive friction already caused by the ethnicities. Symbols Kilarallis’s national symbols are the iron crown and an iron statue without arms and a blank face. These are featured on their flag, as well as common decorative items on their housing, clothing and furniture. The iron crown stands for the Slave Princes, despite having given many of the Kilrallians a tragic past they are still revered as those who brought them to the Island. The iron statue without arms stands for the mysterious colossus further inland in the island. Despite the fact that nobody understands or knows where it came from, it has become a national symbol in that it functions like a metaphor for Kilarallis’s position in the world. The state is isolated, misunderstood and ignored by outsiders. She is faceless for she can take on many identities, one for every ethnic group on the island. Trivia *Kilarallis declared rabbits a noxious vermin over a century ago, declaring them illegal over fears that they carried sewer plague. The mass extermination became known as the Battle of the Squeaking Plains. *A very mysterious giant statue stands in the landscape further inland from the capital. The statue is partially collapsed and missing its arms, but still imposingly nearly 100 feet tall and made from near solid marble. Nobody knows who made the statue resembles, or from which civilization it even comes, as the features on the face are unrecognizable. Category:Geography Category:Nations and States Category:Geography Category:Extended Daendroc Landmass